Month: October 2012

90% of the world’s urban areas are located on coastlines. Public managers need climate projections in order to appropriate resources to strengthening infrastructure, particularly underground public transportation and sewer systems. The question is –can we project impact with enough certainty to invest in projects that will ensure resiliency?

Please join the Earth Institute and Columbia University on Monday, October 29th at 6pm for an exciting discussion on how we can better prepare for the impacts of climate change. Our panel of experts will discuss the ability to plan for climate variability and how to integrate climate science into decision-making.

The event is being held in the Rotunda at Low Library on Columbia’s Morningside campus. A reception will follow the formal panel to provide an opportunity for guests to continue the discussion informally.

The Earth Institute Annual Sachs Student Lecture presents “Sustainable Development in the New Administration,” with Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development; Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University and Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on the Millennium Development Goals.

The lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on Columbia University’s Morningside Campus in Alfred Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Auditorium.

The Environmental Law Society is offering free tickets to the showing of the documentary, Chasing Ice (http://www.chasingice.com/). It will be shown at the Village Cinema 22 East 12th Street on the evening of November 9th at 7pm.

If you are interested in taking advantage of the ticket offer, email Scott Miller by end of day Tuesday, October 30th.

On October 22nd, SUMASA is hosting a screening of “On Cities: A Virtual Gathering”. The event involves a screening of a 3 part non-verbal film about life in cities broadcast simultaneously in 30 global venues. After each part of the film, there will be a discussion about the themes in the film, including “What can urban history teach us?” and “What are the scope of urban challenges?”

SPEAKERS
Gavin J. Donohue, Independent Power Producers of New York
Ross Gould, Environmental Advocates of New York
Jared Snyder, New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Robert N. Stavins, JFK School of Government, Harvard University
Susan Tierney, Analysis Group

MODERATOR
Michael B. Gerrard, Columbia Law School

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was formed in 2005 by northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states as the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide. RGGI is now undergoing a comprehensive review. This public meeting will feature speakers with a broad range of perspectives on the future of RGGI.

Among the questions to be addressed are:
Is RGGI achieving its purposes?
Where does RGGI fit in the context of North American efforts to fight climate change?
Can and should RGGI be linked with trading programs in California and Canadian provinces?
Should RGGI lower the cap on emissions, or include more pollutants or sources?
How can emissions leakage be controlled?
What has been the environmental and energy impact of RGGI?
What is the impact of Governor Chris Christie’s withdrawal of New Jersey in 2011?